JBS Haldane Lecture 2015 – Dr Alison Woollard

The Genetics Society is pleased to announce that the 2015 JBS Haldane Lecture is awarded to Alison Woollard, associate professor in the department of biochemistry, University of Oxford.

The Woollard lab work on developmental genetics of the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Their current work concerns molecular mechanisms of cell fate determination during C. elegans development, trying to unpick the complex mechanisms by which cells become different from one another as an organism develops from egg to adult. They focus on the regulation of the seam stem-like cells, which provide a tractable system for studying the molecular basis of asymmetric cell division. The lab also works on the biology of ageing, with an emphasis on the contribution of chromatin regulators and the WRN homologue wrn-1 to lifespan and healthspan regulation. Alison is also very committed to Public Engagement, believing that science must be more strongly embedded in society as an important cultural ambition, as well as a crucial driver of economic competitiveness, improved healthcare and sensible public and governmental policy.

Alison presented the 2013 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures series “Life Fantastic”, broadcast on BBC4, and since then has taken part in a diverse range of activities,
from pop festivals to stand-up comedy!